United Nations Security Council Resolution 1639 – Bosnia and Herzegovina

Resolution 1639 (2005)

The Security Council,

Recalling all its previous relevant resolutions concerning the conflicts in theformer Yugoslavia and relevant statements of its President, including resolutions1031 (1995) of 15 December 1995, 1088 (1996) of 12 December 1996, 1423 (2002)of 12 July 2002, 1491 (2003) of 11 July 2003, 1551 (2004) of 9 July 2004 and 1575(2004) of 22 November 2004,

Reaffirming its commitment to the political settlement of the conflicts in theformer Yugoslavia, preserving the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all Statesthere within their internationally recognized borders,

Emphasizing its full support for the High Representative’s continued role inBosnia and Herzegovina,

Underlining its commitment to support the implementation of the GeneralFramework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Annexesthereto (collectively the Peace Agreement, S/1995/999, annex), as well as therelevant decisions of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC),

Recalling all the agreements concerning the status of forces referred to inAppendix B to Annex 1-A of the Peace Agreement, and reminding the parties oftheir obligation to continue to comply therewith,

Further recalling the provisions of its resolution 1551 (2004) concerning theprovisional application of the status of forces agreements contained in Appendix Bto Annex 1-A of the Peace Agreement,

Emphasizing its appreciation to the High Representative, the Commander andpersonnel of the multinational stabilization force (EUFOR), the Senior Military Representative and personnel of the NATO Headquarters Sarajevo, the Organizationfor Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the European Union (EU) and the personnel of other international organizations and agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina for their contributions to the implementation of the Peace Agreement,

Emphasizing that a comprehensive and coordinated return of refugees and displaced persons throughout the region continues to be crucial to lasting peace,

Recalling the declarations of the Ministerial meetings of the PeaceImplementation Conference,

Recognizing that full implementation of the Peace Agreement is not yetcomplete, while paying tribute to the achievements of the authorities at State andentity level in Bosnia and Herzegovina and of the international community in the ten years since the signing of the Peace Agreement,

Emphasizing the importance of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s progress towards Euro-Atlantic integration on the basis of the Peace Agreement, while recognizingthe importance of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s transition to a functional, reform-oriented, modern and democratic European country,

Noting the reports of the High Representative, including his latest report of14 October 2005 (S/2005/698, annex),

Determined to promote the peaceful resolution of the conflicts in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,

Recalling the relevant principles contained in the Convention on the Safety Of United Nations and Associated Personnel adopted on 9 December 1994 and thestatement of its President on 10 February 2000 (S/PRST/2000/4),

Welcoming and encouraging efforts by the United Nations to sensitise peacekeeping personnel in the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS and othercommunicable diseases in all its peacekeeping operations,

Taking note of the conclusions of EU Foreign Ministers at their meeting of13 June, which refer to the requirement for EUFOR to remain in Bosnia and Herzegovina beyond 2005, and confirm the EU’s intention to take the stepsnecessary to that end,

Recalling the letters between the European Union and NATO sent to the Security Council on 19 November 2004 on how those organizations will cooperate together in Bosnia and Herzegovina in which both organizations recognize that theEUFOR will have the main peace stabilization role under the military aspects of thePeace Agreement (S/2004/916; S/2004/915),

Further recalling the confirmation by the Presidency of Bosnia andHerzegovina, on behalf of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including its constituents entities, of the arrangements for EUFOR and the NATO Headquarters presence(S/2004/917),

Welcoming the European Union’s increased engagement in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the continued engagement of NATO,

Further welcoming tangible signs of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s progress towards the European Union, and, in particular, the decision by the EU to opennegotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina on a Stabilization and Association Agreement, and calling on the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to implementin full their undertakings, including on police reform, as part of that process,

Determining that the situation in the region continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security,

Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations,

1. Reaffirms once again its support for the Peace Agreement, as well as forthe Dayton Paris Agreement on implementing the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina of 10 November 1995 (S/1995/1021, annex) and calls upon the partiesto comply strictly with their obligations under those Agreements;

2. Reiterates that the primary responsibility for the further successful implementation of the Peace Agreement lies with the authorities in Bosnia andHerzegovina themselves and that the continued willingness of the internationalcommunity and major donors to assume the political, military and economic burdenof implementation and reconstruction efforts will be determined by the complianceand active participation by all the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina inimplementing the Peace Agreement and rebuilding a civil society, in particular infull cooperation with the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, instrengthening joint institutions, which foster the building of a fully functioning self-sustaining State, able to integrate itself into the European structures and infacilitating returns of refugees and displaced persons;

3. Reminds the parties once again that, in accordance with the Peace Agreement, they have committed themselves to cooperate fully with all entitiesinvolved in the implementation of this peace settlement, as described in the PeaceAgreement, or which are otherwise authorized by the Security Council, includingthe International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, as it carries out itsresponsibilities for dispensing justice impartially, and underlines that fullcooperation by States and entities with the International Tribunal includes, inter alia,the surrender for trial or apprehension of all persons indicted by the Tribunal andprovision of information to assist in Tribunal investigations;

4. Emphasizes its full support for the continued role of the High Representative in monitoring the implementation of the Peace Agreement andgiving guidance to and coordinating the activities of the civilian organizations andagencies involved in assisting the parties to implement the Peace Agreement, andreaffirms that under Annex 10 of the Peace Agreement the High Representative isthe final authority in theatre regarding the interpretation of civilian implementationof the Peace Agreement and that in case of dispute he may give his interpretationand make recommendations, and make binding decisions as he judges necessary onissues as elaborated by the Peace Implementation Council in Bonn on 9 and10 December 1997;

5. Expresses its support for the declarations of the Ministerial meetings ofthe Peace Implementation Conference;

6. Reaffirms its intention to keep implementation of the Peace Agreement and the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina under close review, taking into account the reports submitted pursuant to paragraphs 18 and 21 below, and anyrecommendations those reports might include, and its readiness to consider theimposition of measures if any party fails significantly to meet its obligations underthe Peace Agreement;

7. Recalls the support of the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina for theEU force and the continued NATO presence and their confirmation that both are the legal successors to SFOR for the fulfilment of their missions for the purposes of thePeace Agreement, its Annexes and Appendices and relevant United Nations SecurityCouncil resolutions and can take such actions as are required, including the use of force, to ensure compliance with Annexes 1-A and 2 of the Peace Agreement andrelevant United Nations Security Council resolutions;

8. Pays tribute to those Member States which participated in themultinational stabilization force (EUFOR), and in the continued NATO presence,established in accordance with its resolution 1575 (2004), and welcomes theirwillingness to assist the Parties to the Peace Agreement by continuing to deploy amultinational stabilization force (EUFOR) and by maintaining a continued NATOpresence;

9. Welcomes the EU’s intention to maintain an EU military operation to Bosnia and Herzegovina from November 2005;

10. Authorizes the Member States acting through or in cooperation with theEU to establish for a further period of 12 months, starting from the date of theadoption of this resolution, a multinational stabilization force (EUFOR) as a legalsuccessor to SFOR under unified command and control, which will fulfil itsmissions in relation to the implementation of Annex 1-A and Annex 2 of the PeaceAgreement in cooperation with the NATO Headquarters presence in accordance withthe arrangements agreed between NATO and the EU as communicated to theSecurity Council in their letters of 19 November 2004, which recognize that theEUFOR will have the main peace stabilization role under the military aspects of thePeace Agreement;

11. Welcomes the decision of NATO to continue to maintain a presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the form of a NATO Headquarters in order to continue toassist in implementing the Peace Agreement in conjunction with EUFOR andauthorizes the Member States acting through or in cooperation with NATO tocontinue to maintain a NATO Headquarters as a legal successor to SFOR underunified command and control, which will fulfil its missions in relation to theimplementation of Annex 1-A and Annex 2 of the Peace Agreement in cooperationwith EUFOR in accordance with the arrangements agreed between NATO and theEU as communicated to the Security Council in their letters of 19 November 2004,which recognize that EUFOR will have the main peace stabilization role under themilitary aspects of the Peace Agreement;

12. Reaffirms that the Peace Agreement and the provisions of its previous relevant resolutions shall apply to and in respect of both EUFOR and the NATOpresence as they have applied to and in respect of SFOR and that thereforereferences in the Peace Agreement, in particular in Annex 1-A and its appendices,and relevant resolutions to IFOR and/or SFOR, NATO and the NAC shall be read asapplying, as appropriate, to the NATO presence, EUFOR, the European Union andthe Political and Security Committee and Council of the European Unionrespectively;

13. Expresses its intention to consider the terms of further authorization as necessary in the light of developments in the implementation of the PeaceAgreement and the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina;

14. Authorizes the Member States acting under paragraphs 10 and 11 aboveto take all necessary measures to effect the implementation of and to ensurecompliance with Annexes 1-A and 2 of the Peace Agreement, stresses that theparties shall continue to be held equally responsible for the compliance with thatAnnex and shall be equally subject to such enforcement action by EUFOR and the NATO presence as may be necessary to ensure implementation of those Annexesand the protection of EUFOR and the NATO presence;

15. Authorizes Member States to take all necessary measures, at the request of either EUFOR or the NATO Headquarters, in defence of the EUFOR or NATO presence respectively, and to assist both organizations in carrying out their missions,and recognizes the right of both EUFOR and the NATO presence to take allnecessary measures to defend themselves from attack or threat of attack;

16. Authorizes the Member States acting under paragraphs 10 and 11 above,in accordance with Annex 1-A of the Peace Agreement, to take all necessary measures to ensure compliance with the rules and procedures governing commandand control of airspace over Bosnia and Herzegovina with respect to all civilian andmilitary air traffic;

17. Demands that the parties respect the security and freedom of movement of EUFOR, the NATO presence, and other international personnel;

18. Requests the Member States acting through or in cooperation with the EUand the Member States acting through or in cooperation with NATO to report to theCouncil on the activity of EUFOR and NATO Headquarters presence respectively,through the appropriate channels and at least at three-monthly intervals;

19. Invites all States, in particular those in the region, to continue to provide appropriate support and facilities, including transit facilities, for the Member Statesacting under paragraphs 10 and 11 above;

20. Reiterates its appreciation for the deployment by the EU of its Police Mission (EUPM) to Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1 January 2003;

21. Also requests the Secretary-General to continue to submit to the Councilreports from the High Representative, in accordance with Annex 10 of the PeaceAgreement and the conclusions of the Peace Implementation Conference held inLondon on 4 and 5 December 1996 (S/1996/1012), and later Peace ImplementationConferences, on the implementation of the Peace Agreement and in particular oncompliance by the parties with their commitments under that Agreement;

22. Decides to remain seized of the matter.

Adopted by the Security Council at its 5307th meeting, on 21 November 2005.